Local Hazard Mitigation Plans
Local Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs) offer a unique opportunity to consider green stormwater infrastructure and Low Impact Development (GI/LID) strategies as a solution to mitigate arid climate hazards, such as drought, flooding and extreme heat, while providing additional co-benefits that align with broader community goals. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently updated HMP Guidance to include provisions that allow for and incentivize integrated and GI/LID approaches to hazard mitigation, including funding opportunities for GI/LID mitigation actions included in HMPs.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW), the Office of Community Revitalization, the Urban Waters Program, EPA Region 9, and FEMA sponsored technical assistance to support the cities of Phoenix and Tempe and Maricopa County, Arizona, integrating GI/LID suitable to an arid and semi-arid climate into their 2020 HMPs and flood control documents.